I have a question regarding the fabrication of the patch and to some folks suggesting that there are no rivets across it.....is it even likely that a aircraft technician would fab this patch without additional stiffeners installed ??
It just doesn't seem logical to have that much un-supported skin on the side of the plane.
I know it is possible that it was fabbed that way, but whoever ordered the patch installed and whoever fabbed it, approved it, etc...had to know the importance of it staying in place and being structurally sound was quite important to the continuation and completion of the ATW flight.
My thought is we have already beat all this to death in this string - and I have stuck my own neck out with conjecture about it. I "wouldn't" put that cover on without some bracing, but I wasn't there.
It is entirely possible that it was installed that way (without intermediate bracing) in that it could have been, in my opinion, simply regarded as a weather cover for the opening, a means of simply closing off the window.
Despite all the conjecture about structural deficiencies due to this 'large window', I don't buy that: the window lies in a fairly neutral plane along the side of the fuselage - the major bending forces are absorbed by compression in the upper skins and tension in the lower in this construction. We see normal windows with no extraordinary bracing around them along the sides of other L10s. In Earharts case, one additional skin lap and its accompanying stiffener were interrupted in addition to the mid-window stiffener that is normally interrupted for the other windows, that is all. It may be considered that the window coaming itself could well offer enough material and stiffening effect to offset that fairly minor loss. To refer to that cut-out as 'taking out a major stringer' is wrong, in my view.
So you have my further conjecture on the thing, for what it is worth.
End of my conjecture on 2-2-V-1 now, because -
Now we have the 'better picture' we've always said we needed.
Bob Lanz is a very smart guy with a lot of technical and even medical experience (was a Vietnam war trained combat 'Devil Doc' in USMC), knows how to research and happens to be outstanding with graphics work as well, IMO. He was in that business for years and has outstanding software and equipment, apparently. Elgen Long apparently held the golden photo - I guess that was how he got the picture into his book (but obviously not as good a quality - the 'WIX' posted picture is outstanding itself).
Bob has actually done us a favor, however distasteful the outcome might be. He probably hates me for butting into this in this forum as it is... but why not reach out to him and cut to the chase? We can't demand it of him - he can do as he pleases with it. Maybe he'd consider the third party, maybe not - he's in the driver's seat on this version of the photo, like it or not. I just think we ought to offer it. Personally, from the 'middle', I can't see less than a third party (disinterested) effort.
I hate to admit it, but I'm personally afraid Bob's right, he's no fool about studying this kind of material - and as I look I don't see bracing fasteners. Nor it happens does my personal expert, but that's my business and holds no sway here, I understand.